As many as 500 residents in southern Brookfield were without electricity Wednesday morning after a power line came down on Stony Hill Road at around 8:30 a.m. The downed wire sparked a small brush fire that was out quickly, with only nominal damage.

Neighbors reported what sounded like a lightning strike in the vicinity of 100 Stony Hill Road shortly before losing power. According to Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) repair crews on the scene, vines tangled around the wires became heavy in Tuesday's rainstorm and one of the power lines gave way, causing a loud crack and a flash that could have been mistaken for lightning. When the broken wires hit the ground they ignited the grass on the bank of the roadway.

Crews working on the power lines at 11:30 Wednesday morning estimated that full power would be returned by 1 p.m. Stony Hill Road was closed Wednesday afternoon between the intersection with Pocono Ridge Road and Gray's Bridge Road.

As of noon, CL&P was reporting 162 residences still without power.